Beginner's Tips & Tricks for Plant-Based Cooking
Give those plants some extra love,
they’re worth it!
Whether you are transitioning to a full plant-based diet or are just working towards eating more plants, these tips and tricks are sure to elevate your dishes! When trying any new recipe, the last thing anyone wants is a kitchen fail. After years of working as a personal plant-based chef, I have experienced the troubles and heard all of the stories. That’s how I have composed this list of my top tips and tricks to support any plant-based beginner in hitting those photo worthy goals!
Soak & Cook Dried Beans from Scratch
Beans get such a bad rap! So much that there are songs about them. It doesn’t have to be this way; they just need the right amount of love! Canned beans are great for convenience and in a pinch can add protein and texture to a dish, however, humans tend to have a bit of trouble in the digestion department after a hefty meal of canned beans.
Cooking dried beans may seem like an unnecessary extra step but promise, try it one time and your taste buds and tummy will thank you! Not to mention, organic dried beans are incredibly inexpensive and terrific for batch cooking. Cook up a large pot of beans and freeze in small individual portions and viola, you have a freezer stocked and ready of your very own “canned beans”.
The trick is in the soaking water. Soak your beans in 3x the amount of filtered water, either overnight or in the morning if you are cooking them that evening. Drain and throw that water away! Soaking your dried beans will not only cut down on your cooking time, but thoroughly cleans the beans and allows them time to release indigestible sugars they contain. Those sugars, known as raffinose sugars, are the culprit to beans bad rap!
Want to take it even further? While cooking your beans, throw in a small strip of kombu seaweed. Kombu continues breaking down those sugars. Drain that cooking liquid and you are left with one easy to digest bean!
Massage That Kale
There’s a whole lot of kale-haters out there. It’s heartbreaking! Are they really haters of the kale or did they just forget this crucial first step…massage that kale! It may sound strange, but kale likes a little rub down. Can you really blame it? Kale is one tough, fibrous green. Which makes it a fantastic green to hold up in long-cooked foods such as soups, stews and braises. Although when it comes to eating large pieces of kale raw, like in a salad, there is no need for so much chew! That’s where a good ol’ massage comes in.
Remove washed kale from stems and hand tear into bite size pieces. Throw the kale into a bowl and with your hands give her a little squeeze. Lightly massage until kale begins to feel slightly wilted and starts to have a shine. Massaging breaks down the fibers in the kale and releases some of its natural oils, giving way to perfectly softened salad greens! Massaging should not take over 1-2 minutes. You are looking for a slightly softened green, not a bowl of mush. This is not the time to take out all your frustrations!
There are times when massaging is not necessary. Kale is fantastic for making ahead! Adding the dressing ahead of time will allow the kale to marinate and soften, no need for massaging here. Also, shredding kale into thin strips or chopping into small bits will make it plenty tender. I love adding shredded kale to quinoa salads with a light vinaigrette, where the kale will keep a perfect consistency without any massaging at all.
Press the Tofu
This is a big one! I have heard countless times from clients how they made a dish with tofu that was soggy, wet, flavorless and went straight into the trash can! Do not let this happen to you!! Press that tofu!
Before preparing your dish, wrap tofu block in a kitchen towel or paper towels. Put the wrapped tofu onto a plate, placing a heavy item on top, such as a cast iron pan or a stack of heavy bowls, for around 15-20 minutes. This will allow for the water to drain from the tofu that it was packed with. Not only will this give you a meatier much more pleasant texture but removing all that excess liquid allows for the tofu to be able to soak up any marinades or flavors you add to your dish. Before marinating, before baking, before sautéing, before braising, always start with pressing your tofu!
Tired of wasting paper towels, get a tofu press! A tofu press is a cheap gadget to add to your kitchen that you can throw into your kitchen sink while it drains, without any hassle or mess!
Steam or Boil Tempeh
If you are not familiar with tempeh, it is fermented soybeans that are formed into a block, and in my opinion, the most delicious form of easy to digest plant-based protein out there. However, tempeh is another plant-based item that will sometimes end up in the trash, because when not treated properly it can be quite bitter; however, there is a simple solution for perfect tempeh every time! Steaming or boiling your tempeh first!
Steaming or boiling your tempeh for 30 minutes as the first step will remove any of the less desirable bitterness of tempeh and open the pores of the tempeh to allow it to soak in any marinades or flavors you are adding to your dish. After steaming, allow your tempeh to cool on a cooling rack. Then continue with your recipe, whether that be marinating, stir-frying, baking, etc. Steaming is the most frequent method I use in my kitchen, however, I do love simmering a block of tempeh in a pot of boiling vegetable broth with added aromatics, such as orange and lemon peels, or whole spices, like star anise or peppercorns. This is an opportunity to add additional flavors. Whichever method you choose, this extra step will give you delicious tasting tempeh, again and again.
Give Your Quinoa a Good Soak
Do you or someone you know tend to give quinoa a hard pass due to a not so tasty experience? Give your quinoa a little soak and your mind may be forever changed. The best part about quinoa is it is not actually a grain but rather a type of seed, known as pseudocereals, that are eaten like grains. This makes quinoa an option for most on a grain-free diet! Unfortunately, quinoa can be bitter, due to the outer husk it grows in that contains a bitter defense mechanism to protect itself against birds, called saponin. The husks are removed before you buy the bagged “grain” at the store, however, sometimes remnants of the bitterness remain.
There is an easy fix for this! Soak your quinoa. Soak your quinoa in a bowl with double the amount of filtered water and about 1 tsp of apple cider vinegar. Either soak overnight or throw in a bowl that morning if you will be preparing it in the evening. Not only will this soaking remove any of that bitterness remaining, but it will also leave you a very easy to digest grain!
Want to jazz up your quinoa a bit more? Try swapping out the cooking water for vegetable broth. You can even throw in some dried herbs, spices or even chopped garlic for extra flavor as well!
Texture is Everything
This may seem obvious, but I have seen it as a big fail enough times to include it, especially at restaurants! If you have never eaten meat dishes in your life, maybe this isn’t a problem for you, but for those of you who’s tongues remember what it’s like to eat a ground beef taco, you are probably not going to be excited when you bite into a giant strip of zucchini wrapped in a corn tortilla calling itself a taco. Pictured here you can see my veggie chili mac. I grew up eating beef chili with beans, no veggies, so when I began cooking veggie chili, I knew my tongue needed a feel it could remember to call it chili. A fine chop of all the veggies and this turns into not only a familiar dish, but the best, most flavorful, I have ever had.
Take your time and small dice those veggies or even mince them in a food processor. Your mouth and brain will be much more pleased when there is some sense of familiarity, especially when recreating old favorite dishes. Which brings me to my next topic!
Recreate Your Favorites
Going plant-based does not mean you have to mourn the loss of your favorite foods. It means you get to make them even better! There is no limit to what you can recreate. Mac and cheese, pizza, fried rice, stir fries, chili, burgers, milkshakes, you name it! Your “foodie” life does not end going plant-based, you are just starting a new chapter. A healthier, more flavorful, exciting chapter!
Stop throwing your hard work in the trash! Take the time to plan your meals and add in these simple steps to your recipe prep time. You are sure to be pleased with your new elevated plant-based dishes!
Happy Plant-Based Eating!
Do you have any tips and tricks that have transformed the way you cook plant-based in your kitchen? Share them in the comments!
If any of these tips help you hit your photo worthy Instagram goals, be sure to share using hashtag #sproutintowellness.